Sock construction



Nov. 3,

M; E. SCHAEFER ETAL SOCK CONSTRUCTION Filed April 23, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O TU .mOTU NOTU .KL i

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Wm 5 w J a; W 2% i Q2 United States Patent 3,537,281 SOCK CONSTRUCTION Margaret E. Schaefer, University City, Mo., and John A.

Harrington, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignors to W0]- verine World Wide, Inc., Rockford, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 582,756, Sept. 28, 1966. This application Apr. 23, 1969, Ser.

Int. Cl. D04b 1/26 US. Cl. 66-179 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Ser. No. 582,756, filed Sept. 28, 1966, now abandoned, and relates generally to knit socks and other types of hosiery. More particularly, this invention relates to socks which may be economically produced on existing hosiery knitting machines with integrally knit elastic panels extending down opposed sides of the sock to provide improved fitting characteristics to the foot and leg portions thereof.

The general concept of utilizing elastic panels or gussets in selected portions of a sock is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,613,520, patented by one of the inventors here in, Margaret E. Schaefer. In this patent, elastic gussets are provided in certain portions of the leg and foot of the sock with the knitted courses of the gussets extending at an angle relative to the coursewise direction of the remaining portions of the sock. This angular position of the courses of the gusset provides stretch in a bias direction in these areas of the sock to provide three dimensional form-fitting characteristics to the sock. However, it has been found that this type of gusset could not be integrally knit with the other portions of the sock on commercially available knitting machines.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel sock construction which provides three dimensional fit and comfort characteristics comparable to those of the hosiery construction of said Pat. No. 2,613,520, and which is capable of being economically produced on commercially available circular hosiery knitting machines.

In accordance with this invention, the present sock construction includes elastic panels extending in a walewise direction along opposite sides of at least the leg of the sock. The elastic panels are integrally knit with the sock and include spaced apart partial courses of elastic yarn which are connected together by elastic yarn float portions extending at an acute angle between the partial courses of elastic yarn to provide course wise, walewise and diagonal or bias expansion and contraction of the elastic panel. As the sock is expanded in a coursewise direction, as when drawn on the foot of the wearer, the diagonal portions of elastic yarn connecting the partial courses shift from a relatively large acute angle to a relatively smaller acute angle and this characteristic contributes substantially to the three dimensional formfitting characteristics of the sock. This unique elastic characteristic of the elastic panels permits the sock to 3,537,281 Patented Nov. 3, 1970 ICC be easily drawn on the foot and leg and causes the sock to contract in various directions to provide a comfort able fit over the various portions of the complex foot structure Without uncomfortable squeezing action and to hold the sock in position on the foot and leg.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one side of the sock of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of a conventional four-feed knitting machine, indicating the location of the feeding stations around the needle cylinder;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the needle circle, indicating the opposed groups of needles on which the partial courses of elastic yarn are formed to provide the elastic panels at each side of the sock;

FIG. 4 is a schematic elevational view at one of the feeding stations illustrating the manner in which alternate needles are raised to take the elastic yarn as the needles pass the feeding station in one direction; and

FIG. 5 is a greatly enlarged view of the portion of the area of the leg of the sock enclosed by the dash-dot rectangle 2 in FIG. 1 and illustrating the manner in which the partial courses of elastic yarn are interspersed among the partial courses of body yarn in the elastic panel.

Referring specifically to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the knit sock, broadly referred to at S, includes a foot portion 12 having a toe 12' and a heel 12", and an integrally knit leg portion 15 having a suitable elastic cuif portion 18 formed integrally with the upper end thereof. The heel 12" and the toe 12 are illustrated as being formed in the conventional manner by narrowing and widening during reciprocatory knitting, however, it is to be understood that the heel and/or toe may be formed by any conventional method.

Extending substantially the entire length of the leg and foot of the sock are one or more integrally formed elastic panels, broadly indicated at 20 in FIG. 1. Preferably at least two of these elastic panels are incorporated, in oppositely positioned relationship to each other to extend down opposite sides of the leg 15 and foot 12. In the sock illustrated, two such panels are formed on each stocking, on opposite lateral sides of the stocking and in mirror image fashion.

Each elastic panel extends generally from the lower edge of the cuff portion 18, down opposite sides to the heel 12", and throughout opposite sides of the foot portion 12, down to the toe 12. To enable the stocking to be put on more readily and to have a more comfortable fit characteristic at the culf portion, the elastic panels may extend up through the cuff portion 18 and to the top of the sock, if desired. Since the elastic panel on the opposite side of the sock is exactly like the elastic panel 20 shown in FIG. 1, only one of the elastic panels will be described in detail.

The elastic panel is knit integrally with the adjacent portions of the sock and is composed of partial courses knit of a highly stretchable and elastic yarn, such as covered rubber or the like. The partial courses of the elastic yarn are knit in a particular interspersed relationship with partial courses of yarns of relatively low elasticity and stretchability and which will hereinafter be described as body yarns. The body yarns may be of any conventional knitting yarns, such as silk, cotton, rayon, orlon-acrylic blends or other types of synthetic yarns. If desired, the body yarns may be textured to provide bulk and/or a limited stretching capacity.

The sock S is preferably knit on a four-feed circular hosiery knitting machine of the type disclosed in the Coile US. Pat. No. 3,136,145, issued June 9, 1964, and known as the CKA machine manufactured by Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pa. This machine is provided with four spaced apart feeding and knitting stations, as diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2, and includes means for selecting needles to take yarnand knit at each side of each feeding station while the needle cylinder is reciprocated. Heretofore, this particular type of machine has been used primarily for knitting solid color pattern areas in the leg portion of a sock. The manner in which the fabric shown in FIG. is knit on this type machine will be presently described.

. --In knitting the sock S on this type machine, the cufl? portion 18 may be knit in any conventional manner and preferably with continuous rotation of the needle cylinder while an elastic yarn is inlaid in selected wales. Those portions of the leg and foot portion of the sock which include the elastic panels 20 are knit with reciprocation of the needle cylinder and the width and length of the elastic panels 20 may be varied, as desired.

Generally, that portion of the sock which includes the elastic panels 20 includes a first group of reciprocatorially knit partial courses of a body yarn B-1 which is speckled in FIG. 5. The partial courses of the body yarn B1 extend from one side of the sock around the rear portion and to the other side where they are suture joined to a second group of reciprocatorially knit partial courses of a body yarn B-2 which is shown plain in FIG. 5.'The partial courses of the body yarn B-Z extend around the front portion of the sock and are suture joined to the partial courses knit of the body yarns B-1. Partial courses knit solely of an elastic yarn E (striped'in FIG. 5) are interspersed between the adjacent end portions of the partial courses of the body yarns B-1 and B4 and overlap the suture juncture therebetween. The partial courses of yarns B-1 and B-2. are joined along diagonal suture lines which normally extend at a relatively large acute angle of substantially 45, as is clearly shown in FIG. 5, and along horizontal or coursewise suture portions to provide a repeating Z-shaped suture extending along the elastic panel 20.

Referring to FIG. 3, the partial courses extending around the rear portion of the stocking and knit of the body yarn B4 are knit on the section of needles indicated at D, the partial courses extending around the front of the sock and knit of the body yarn B-2 are knit on the section of needles indicated at B, the partial courses of elastic yarn E are knit on the section of needles indicated at A, and the partial courses of the elastic panel on the opposite side of the sock from that shown in FIG. 1 are knit on the section of needles indicated at C. Of course, corresponding endmost portions of the partial courses knit of the body yarns B1 and B-2 are also knit on selected needles in sections A and C as their ends are joined in the elastic panels.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the body yarn B-1 is fed at the number 1 feed, an elastic yarn E is fed at the number 2 feed, the body yarn B-2 is fed at the number 3 feed, and .the elastic yarn E is fed at the number 4 feed. The yarns B-l, B-Z, E and E are fed to the needles as the needles are selectively raised at each of the feed stations and during each forward and reverse swing of the needle cylinder.

As shown in FIG. 5, the electric panel is defined by the width of the partial courses of elastic yarn E, between wales W-50 and W63 and a walewise repeat of the stitch loop construction is shown between courses 0-101 and C-111. The partial courses of elastic yarn E overlap and extend across the diagonal suture line joining the corresponding ends of the partial courses of body yarns B-1 and B-2. At the upper and lower ends of the diagonal portion of the suture line, a single partial course of elastic yarn is knit between the overlapping end portions of adjacent partial courses of body yarns B-1 and B-2 to form horizontal or coursewise extending portions of the repeating Z-shaped suture line. i

Spaced apart pairs of partial courses of elastic yarn E are formed in the area of the diagonal portion of the suture line by alternately knitting and floating the elastic yarn between pairs of partial courses of the body yarns B4 and B-2. The elastic yarn E extends diagonally from one pair of partial courses of elastic yarn to the next pair of partial courses of elastic yarn and generally follows the suture line connecting the partial courses of body yarns B-1 and B-2. These diagonally extending portions of elastic yarn contract the fabric at an acute angle relative to the courses and wales in the fabric and thereby provide stretchability along the bias of the fabric. Thus, the partial courses of elastic yarn provide coursewise stretchability, walewise stretchability and a biasing contraction of the fabric in the elastic panel 20. The single partial course of elastic yarn E, at the upper and lower ends of the diagonal portion of the suture line, is knit in every other wale and floated across the remaining wales.

The manner in which the fabric repeat shown in FIG. 5 is knit on the machine will now be described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 4. Beginning with the partial course O-101, knit with the needle cylinder moving in a forward or counterclockwise direction, the yarn B-Z knits at feed number 3, yarn E knits at feed number 4, elastic yarn E knits at feed number 2, and the yarn B-l knits at feed number 1. The yarn B-2 tucks on the first needle at feed number 3 to form a tuck loop in wale W-52 and then knits in wale W-5-3 and each successive wale around to the other side of the sock.

At feed 4, a tuck is formed of the elastic yarn E in the wale W-50 as the elastic yarn E is picked up by the leading needle. The yarn then knits on alternate needles, indicated at N in FIG. 4, while intervening needles N remain in a low position so that elastic yarn stitch loops are formed in alternate wales and elastic yarn floats are formed across intervening wales. Thus, in knitting the single partial course of elastic yarn E, the elastic yarn E forms stitch loops in the even numbered wales W-52, W-54, W-56, W-58, W-60 and W-62 while it floats across the odd numbered wales.

. At feed 1, the body yarn B-l forms stitch loops in every wale of partial course C-101, beginning at the other side of the sock, and the last needle to knit forms a stitch loop in wale W-60. Thus, stitch loops of the body yarn B-l in partial course C-101 overlap with and are drawn through stitch loops of the body yarn B-2 in wales W-53, W-55, W-57 and W-59. Stitch loops of the body yarn B-l are also drawn through elastic yarn stitch loops in wales W-52, W-54, W-56, W-58 and W-60.

As the needle cylinder next swings in the reverse or clockwise direction, the body yarn B-1 knits at feed 1 to form the partial course C-102 and the first needle forms a tuck in wale W-60 and then successively forms stitch loops in each of the wales and around to the other side of the sock. As the needles pass the feed 4, the elastic yarn E is tucked on the first needle to form a tuck in wale W-63, then knits successively on the intervening needles to form stitch loops in the odd numbered wales W-61, W-59, W-57, W-55, W-53 and W-51 while it is floated across the even numbered wales. The elastic yarn stitch loop in wale W-61 is drawn through a stitch loop of body yarn B-Z of partial course C-101 while the elastic yarn stitch loop in wale W59 is drawn through a stitch loop of body yarn B4 of partial course C-102 so that a diagonally extending float F is formed. This float F extends downwardly across the two partial courses 0-101 and 6-102 of the body yarn B-1 and parallel to the diagonal suture line connecting the partial courses of body yarn B-1 and the partial courses of body yarn B-2. During this same clockwise swing of the needle cylinder, the yarn B2 is fed to the needles, beginning at the other side of the sock and forming the partial course C-102 with the last stitch loop being formed in wale W-61.

As the needle cylinder next swings in a counterclockwise direction, the body yarn B-l is tucked on the first needle to form a tuck in wale W-60 and then knits stitch loops in every wale around to the other side of the sock and forms the partial course C-103. During this same counterclockwise movement, the elastic yarn E is knit at feed 4 and tucks on the first needle to form a tuck in Wale W-50 and then knits stitch loops in the even numbered wales and floats across the odd numbered wales, forming the last stitch loop in the wale W-62. During this same counterclockwise movement, the yarn B-2 is fed to the needles at feed 3, and the first needle tucks to form a tuck in wale W-60, then knits successively to form the partial course -103, forming the first stitch loop in wale W-61 and continuing to the other side of the sock.

This reciprocatory knitting continues with the number of needles knitting the body yarn B2 being successively increased by two needles while the number of needles knitting the body yarn B-1 is correspondingly decreased by two needles each time that the needle cylinder is reciprocated. The diagonal suture line which joins the partial courses of the body yarns B-1 and B2 is formed by suture loops L of the body yarn B-l. The suture loops L each include tuck loops of each of the body yarns B-1 and B-2.

Since the elastic yarn E (fed to the needles at feed 4) knits in even numbered wales when the needle cylinder moves in a counterclockwise direction and odd numbered wales when it moves in a clockwise direction, the spaced apart pairs of partial courses of elastic yarn (between the horizontal portions of the suture line) appear to be a single course having an elastic stitch loop formed in every wale. However, close inspection reveals that adjacent elastic yarn stitch loops are actually formed during the knitting of different partial courses. While the elastic yarn stitches are shown in FIG. 5 as being the same size as the body yarn stitches, the elastic yarn stitches are much smaller in the actual fabric.

While it is preferred that the elastic yarn E be knit on alternate needles as the needle cylinder swings in one direction and on intervening needles as it swings in the opposite direction, it is to be understood that the elastic yarn could be knit on all of the needles of each partial course in the elastic panel with movement of the needle cylinder in each direction, if desired. The elastic panel 20 is illustrated as being fourteen wales wide and is defined by the length of the partial courses of the elastic yarn. However, the width of the elastic panel may be varied as desired.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

We claim:

1. A knit sock having three dimensional fitting characteristics and including leg and foot portions, at least a selected portion of one of said sock portions including first and second groups of reciprocatorially knit partial courses of body yarn, the ends of said partial courses of said first group being joined along a suture line to the corresponding ends of said partial courses of said second group and reciprocatorially knit partial courses formed solely of elastic yarn and :being interspersed between certain body yarn partial courses of said first and second groups, said partial courses of elastic yarn overlapping said suture line and defining an elastic panel extending walewise along said selected portion of said sock, said elastic yarn of said partial courses forming stitch loops in at least alternate wales and continuously from one side to the other of said elastic panel.

2. A knit sock according to claim 1 wherein said elastic panel defined by said partial courses of elastic yarn extends throughout substantially the complete length of said leg portion.

3. A knit sock according to claim 1 wherein said elastic panel defined by said partial courses of elastic yarn ex tends through substantially the complete length of said foot portion.

4. A knit sock according to claim 1 wherein said first group of partial courses of said body yarn extends around the front of said leg portion, said second group of partial courses of said body yarn extends around the rear of said leg portion, the ends of said first and second groups of partial courses being joined along suture lines extending down opposed sides of said leg portion, and said partial courses of said elastic yarn overlap each suture line and define elastic panels extending walewise along opposed sides of said leg portion.

5. A knit sock according to claim 1 wherein said first and second groups of said partial courses of said body yarn are joined along a repeating substantially Z-shaped suture line forming a plurality of diagonally extending and parallel suture line portions connected by coursewise extending suture line portions, said diagonal and course wise extending suture line portions being positioned along the length of said elastic panel.

6. A knit sock according to claim 5 wherein said partial courses of said elastic yarn are positioned between pairs of partial courses of said body yarn, and including elastic yarn float portions extending diagonally between and connecting said partial courses of said elastic yarn, said diagonally extending elastic yarn float portions being parallel to said extending portions of said suture line.

7. A knit sock according to claim 6 wherein pairs of partial courses of said elastic yarn are positioned between said pairs of partial courses of said body yarn forming said diagonal portions of said suture line, and a single partial course of said elastic yarn is positioned between the partial courses of said body yarn forming the coursewise extending portions of said suture line.

8. A knit sock according to claim 7 wherein one partial course of each of said pairs of partial courses of said elastic yarn comprises stitch loops in alternate wales and floats across intervening wales, the other partial courses of said elastic yarn comprises floats across alternate wales and sitch loops in intervening wales, and said single partial courses of said elastic yarn comprise stitch loops in alternate wales and floats across intervening wales.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,250,588 7/1941 Lombardi 66201 2,273,230 2/1942 Smith 66201 2,283,995 5/1942 Hutton et a1. 66-179 XR 2,613,520 10/1952 Schaefer 66l78 2,642,732 6/1953 Thurston 66l79 3,085,409 4/1963 Bryant 66172 XR 3,222,890 12/1965 Fregeolle et al. 66l79 3,425,246 2/ 1969 Knohl 66178 XR WILLIAM CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 66185, 201 

